This week many NBA teams made trades to improve their squads. The Los Angeles Lakers who are known for their blockbuster trades have yet again made a key acquisition to help them win a championship. In exchange for forwards Kwame Brown (2001 First Overall Draft Pick) and Javaris Crittenton, the Lakers got the 7'0 2 time all-star Paul Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies. This should make the Lakers, who are in 6th place in the west, an even stronger contender. Experts have said that Pau Gasol will work well in the Lakers offense and will provide help for Kobe Bryant. Kobe Bryant who is number 3 in the league in scoring said that Gasol would be a great asset and he provides the team with another scoring threat. In the three games that Gasol has already played with the Lakers he has scored 62 points, grabbed 30 rebounds, and dished out 18 assists.
If that trade wasn't big enough the Miami Heat and the Phoenix Suns pulled off a blockbuster deal exchanging to amazing all-stars one being "BIG" and the other one being a high-flyer. The Heat traded away Shaquille "Big Daddy Diesel" O'Neal for the Suns 5 time all-star Shawn Marion. Both players are amazing and will fit in great on their new found teams. Shaquille O'Neal was once the most dominant player in the NBA. At 7'1 325 pounds he was a force to be reckoned with. But this year he has been plagued with injuries and is averaging career lows in scoring and rebounding. His old team, the Miami Heat, are in last place in the NBA with a 9-39 record while his new team, the Phoenix Suns, are in first place in the west with a 35-15 record. The only worries that Suns coach Mike D'Antoni has is that the Suns are a run and gun team and Shaq may slow them down. But now they have a solid big man that can match up well with the big men in the west and hopefully Phoenix can finally make it to the NBA Finals. Shawn Marion has always provided great scoring and rebounding and can run the floor easily. He fits well with the Miami Heat and will play alongside the 2006 NBA Finals MVP Dwayne Wade. This trade made both O'Neal and Marion happy because they both demanded to be traded. Marion wanted to be traded in September while Shaq wanted a trade due to disagreements and conflicts with coach Pat Riley.
Also the New Jersey Nets who are having a very disappointing year have traded away Jason Collins to the Mephis Grizzlies for Stromile Swift. Nets all-star point guard Jason Kidd is demanding to be traded as well and is not happy in New Jersey. But the Nets can't find the right deal just yet so we'll be watching them to see what moves they make.
Other players have found new homes as well, not through trades but rather in free agency. All-star Damon Stoudamire who is a solid point guard and is a sharp-shooter has been signed by the San Antonia Spurs. Earl Boykins the smallest player currently in the NBA who stands at only 5'7 was signed by the Charlotte Bobcats. And the biggest signing was made the Golden State Warriors. They signed 4 time all-star Chris Webber. Webber who started his career at Golden State in the 1992-1993 season was traded in his second year to the Washington Bullets. He then went to the Sacramento Kings the to the Philadelphia 76ers and ended up in Detroit last year. Now he has found his way back to Golden State where he won the Rookie of the Year award.
I can't wait to see how all these acquisitions will change these teams. Some for the better and some for the worse. Who knows? We will see though, and I will keep you updated. So stay tuned to Above the Rim.
"Basketball is the second most exciting indoor sport, and the other one shouldn't have spectators." -Dick Vertleib
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About Me
- Virgil Q
- I'm pretty sure there's a lot more to life than being really, really good looking. And I plan on finding out what that is. I don't know how to put this but I'm kind of a big deal. People know me. I'm very important. I have many leather-bound books and my apartment smells of rich mahogany. When you look into my eyes, it'll be like the first time you heard the Beatles. I'm a man who believes in you. My life is dedicated to saying things like "YES!" and "You better believe it!" I wasn't like every other kid, you know, who dreams about being an astronaut, I was always more interested in what bark was made out of on a tree. Richard Gere's a real hero of mine. Sting. Sting would be another person who's a hero. The music he's created over the years, I don't really listen to it, but the fact that he's making it, I respect that. I care desperately about what I do.